Daily Devotional – Sunday, August 30, 2026
And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’
Ezekiel 16:6 (NKJV)
The prophet Ezekiel paints a painful picture in the sixteenth chapter of his book. He describes Jerusalem as a newborn baby left in an open field. The child has received none of the care normally given to a newborn. No one has washed her, wrapped her, or shown her pity. She lies there helpless and struggling for life. Ezekiel does not soften the picture. Jerusalem can do nothing about her condition. She depends entirely on someone else to notice her and help her. Then, in the middle of that terrible scene, God says that He passes by and sees her.
You Didn’t Get Here Alone
God sees her in the condition in which others have left her. He sees her struggling in her blood and says, “Live!” The word appears twice, giving special weight to what God says. This moment marks the beginning of God’s care for Jerusalem. As the chapter continues, He describes how He cares for her, helps her grow, and later enters into a covenant relationship with her. Jerusalem’s story changes because God shows her mercy. Her future begins when God sees her and acts on her behalf.
Most of us don’t like admitting when we need help. We try to work things out, hold ourselves together, and hope that nobody notices how difficult things have become. Sometimes we bring that same attitude into our relationship with God. Why pretend with the One who already knows? He knows the problem before we find the words to describe it. He knows where we feel weak, confused, or overwhelmed. You don’t have to come to Him with everything neatly arranged. You can come as you are and tell Him what is really happening.
How Did You Get Here?
Look at how Jerusalem’s story began. She had nothing to offer and no way to change the situation that had left her. Yet God saw her and gave her life. Later, He cared for her and blessed her richly. That part of the story is worth remembering when we begin to take the good things in our lives for granted. A new opportunity, a better season, or progress we once prayed for can quietly make us forget how much we once needed God and how much we still need Him.
The rest of Jerusalem’s story makes the situation even more sobering. After God cared for her and blessed her, she forgot Him and turned away from Him. Everything she had received traced back to God’s mercy, yet she lost sight of the One who had given it. Her story invites us to pause and ask ourselves a simple question: Have I forgotten where I started? It is all too natural to seek God desperately when we need something. However, when life improves, remembering Him requires a deliberate heart. Never let a better season make you forget the God who was there when you had nothing.
Prayer
Almighty God, sometimes I forget how much of my life rests on Your goodness. When life is going well, keep me close to You and help me to remember Your mercy and how You have dealt with me in the past.
